Golf-club.



A. E. LARD. GOLF CLUB.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-26. 1916.

1 ,257,04 Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

atfoz mam,

ALLAN E. LARD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ASSIGNOR TO THE METALLIC SHAFT COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

GOLF-CLUB.

Patented Feb. 19,1918.

Application filed September 26, 1916. Serial No. 122,260.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALLAN E. LARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Golf-Clubs, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to golf clubs, and has reference more particularly to the means employed to effect a tight joint or union between a metallic shaft and the head of the club.

The securing of a wooden shaft to a wooden or iron head of a golf club is a relatively simple proposition, but the attachment of a metal shaft to such heads involves problems not present in the former cases,

and the present invention has to do with means whereby such difliculties or problems have been solved and done away with.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of so much of a golf club as is necessary to illustrate the invention in connection with a wooden head;

Fig. 2- a perspective view of a filler block or plug inserted in the lower end of the shaft;

Fig. 3 a sectlonal elevation of the lowerend of the shaft;

Fig. 4 a like view illustrating the lower end of the shaft with the various parts assembled and ready to be dressed down prior to its insertion into the socket of the head;

Fig. 5 a sectional elevation of a modified form of plug, showing the manner of securing the same in place;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 detail views of a still further modification of the plug, and a slight modification of the tube employed in conjunction therewith; and

Fig. 9 a sectional elevation showing the invention as applied to a metal head.

The shaft, denoted generally by 1, is

trated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, it will be seen that the ribs are tapered or reduced from their full height toward the lower end of the shaft, as at 5, the ribs vanishing entirely throughout the lower portion of the shaft. In practice they have been removed for a distance of approximately two inches upwardly from the lower end of the shaft and the beveled or inclined portion of the r1b is approximately three-fourths of an inch in length, the aggregate (two and threefourths inches) being slightly less than the depth of the socket formed in the head 6 and neck 7. The outer surface of the lower portion of the shaft and ribs is preferably knurled, as indicated at 8.

A plug 9 of wood, or other suitable material, is forced upwardly into the lower end of the shaft, said plug preferably being of such lengthas to project beyond the upper end of neck 7 when the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 1. Said plug, which fills that portion of the shaft which it occupies, may be treated with glue before insertion and after it is in place the shaft, for the length of the plug, is smeared over with a cementitious material, such for instance, as a mixture of glue and comminuted leather, or glue and sawdust, or any other suitable mixture or substance which will fill the openings and slots, and also, to a certain extent, the spaces between the ribs. Such material, so far as it is possible to indicate it in the drawings, is denoted by 10. Over the portion of the shaft so treated is tightly wound a strip of leather, 11, the lower end being tacked, as at 12, to plug 9, while the upper end is tacked as at 13. Such tacking is only necessary to temporarily hold the strip in place, for the strip which is covered with glue, preferably hot, previous to its being wound, strongly adheres to the cementitious material 10, while the edges of the adjacent convolutions also become cemented together.

The strip is wound under sufficient tension to cause the ribs and knurled portions to indent the same, thereby assisting in an choring the strip to the shaft; in f ct, when the glue and cementitious filling body in the holes and slots become dry it is found impossible to unwind or separate the strip from the shaft, the leather breaking before such operation can be effected. The leather, furexpansion or compression, and will accommodate itself to any change in the size of the.

socket, either from shrinkage or expansion, due to climatic or other conditions.

Any material which presents the same advantages and qualities as leather may be employed in its stead, that is, any material which will firmly adhere to the filling material and consequently become anchored to the shaft, and which also presents an exterior surface which may be readily and effectively glued to the walls of the socket, and which will stretch or yield before breaking the glue as climatic or other conditions affect the parts. Raw-hide or artificial leather, for instance, may be employed.

When the glue is thoroughly dry, the leather is filed off to produce a taper of such size as to snuglyfit the tapered socket in the head and neck, and the upper portion is rounded off, as at 14, Fig. 1. The shaft end, with the filler or connector strip thus secured and anchored to it, is driven into the socket, glue being smeared over the strip and wall of the socket prior to the driving of the shaft.

In the actual use of a club having a shaft thus anchored in the head, it is found that the head will not become loose from the shaft, the leather efiecting a seemingly tighter union with the wooden head than does the usual wooden shaft with a wooden terior portion of the shaft.

Any tendency of the neck to contract, either by reason of shrinkage or expansion due to atmospheric conditions, merely causes a tighter binding of the socket walls upon the leather, which will. be thereby slightly compressed and thus accommodate itself to such change.

In Fig. 5 a modified form of plug is shown, the plug, indicated by 16, having a series of pins 17, preferably of wood, passed therethrough and extending out to a slight extent beyond the outer surface of the shaft.

The ends of these plugs afford sufficient surface to which the leather or other winding may be glued, to anchor the same. The usual cementitious material may also be placed on the shaft to fill in those holes therein through which the pins do not extend, and also the spaces between the ribs.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 a two-part longitudinally divided plug is shown. Each portion 18 is semicircular in cross-section and provided with external projections or buttons 19, of a size to pass through the elongated openings or slots 20in the shaft, Fig. 6. After the sections are passed into the shaft and moved laterally to cause the projections to pass into the slots, a spreader 21 is forced in between the sections, thereby holding the same in place. Glue will be employed on the parts as they are assembled.

In Fig. 9 the shaft is shown as secured in the hozel of an iron club. The hozel, 22, in this instance is made shorter than the usual hozel, and the main portion of the weight abstracted may be carried into the blade of the club or added thereto by placing a weight 23 upon the rear face of theblade, thus bringing the weight directly behind the point of impact with theball. The hozel or neck will be provided with a round tapering socket intowhich the shaft-end will be driven and secured by a cross pin 2 In this instance the tapered portions of the ribs extend down toward the end of the shaft, the ribs making a driving fit with the walls of the socket.

A fine wire wrapping 25 may be placed.

about the upper end of the hozel and the adjacent end of the shaft, if desired. Such, however, is not necessary, as the upper end of the hozel may be rounded off to produce a proper finish.

Instead of securing the iron head in this manner. a shaft having its end provided with a filler strip may be employed, in which case the pin 24 would still be used and in a sense would take the place of the glue employed to attach the wooden head, though, of course, both the pin (or pins) and the glue might be utilized.

While I prefer to secure the leather strip in place by winding-it spirally about the shaft-end, as such winding enables me to stretch the leather and produce an intimate contact and union between the parts, it is to be understood that the invention is not, in its broader aspect, limited to such arrangement, as the leather might be laid up in pieces on or along the shaft and subjected to suflicient pressure to cause proper adherence to the shaft prior to placement of the shaft in the socket.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a golf club, the combination of a hollow shaft having a plurality of ribs extending longitudinally thereof, the ribs at and toward the lower end of .the shaft gradually tapering in height and merging into the shaft body, said shaft likewise having openings therein to permit torsioning of the shaft under impact; a club head having a tapered socket into which the lower end of the. shaft extends; and means for securing. the shaft in place.

2. In a golf club, the combination of a.

hollow metallic shaft; a'jwooden head havtherein; and athin ing a socket formed fibrous member wound about'the lower end of the shaft, and presenting a surface whichmay be directly and firmly gluedin place in thesocket.

3. In a golf club, the combination of a hollow metallic shaft, the lower end whereof is tapered; a wooden head having a tapered socket formed therein; and a fibrous material encircling the taperedend of the shaft, said'material being glued to-theshaft and the socket and producing an effective union 1 between the parts.

4. In a golf club the combination of a hollow metallic shaft: a wooden head having a socket into which the shaft is inserted; and a connector or filler interposed-between said shaft and the wall of the socket, said filler being glued to the other members and I together; and a wooden head having a socket formed therein, the leather winding, and

consequently the shaft, being secured in the socket by glue.

6. In a golf club, hollow metallic shaft havin ribs extending longitudinally thereof, t e ribs at the lower portion of the shaft tapering in height and mer 'ng into the-body; a strip ofleather woun tightly about said portion; and a wooden head having, a socket therein, said wound shaft portion being seated in the socket and 'secured 'thereto by glue.

7. In a golf club, the combination of a hollow metallic shaft having ribs extend.-

ing lengthwise thereof; a wooden head havmg of a material having a'slight degree of expansibility between said shaft and the socket wall and glued thereto,said connector being indented by the ribs, whereby any relative movement of the component elements is prevented.

8. In a golf club,.the combination of a hollow metallic shaft having, ribs extend- *a strip. of leather firmly wra the combination of a a socket formed therein for the recep-v tion of the shaft; and a connector formed 7 and compressibility interposed ing longitudinally thereof, and likewise.

havin openings formed through the wall of its ody, the ribs at the lower portion of the shaft being tapered in height; a wooden plug inserted in said lower portion; a strip of leather firmly wrapped around said lower portion and the tapered ribs thereon; afiller of cementitious material extending through the openings aforesaid and serving to unite the plug and leather strip; and a wooden head ha'vinga socket therein for the reception of the wrapped portion, said leather wrapping being firmly glued to the wall of the socket.

9. In a golf club, the combination of a metallic shaft; a strip of leather wrapped about the lower end of the same, the upper end of the wrapping being beveled inwardly toward the shaft; a wooden headhaving a socketed neck in which the end of the shaft is seated and secured, the upper beveled end of the leather wrapping being exposed above the socketed port1on of the club neck; and a wrapping overlying such exposed portion, the adjacent portion of the club neck, and the adjacent portion of the shaft. Y

10. In a golf club, the combination of a metallic shafthaving ribs extending longitudinally thereof, said ribs at the lower portion of the shaft gradually diminishingin height and stopping short of the endiof the shaft, and said lower portion being knurled;

a plug located in the lower end of the-shaft; ped about said end and terminating short 0 the upper end of the internal plug; cementitious materialopenings extending through and fillin formed in the shaft and firmly inding the plug and leather to the shaft; a wooden sockt to receive and register with the -wrapped end of the shaft, which is glued therein, the leather wrapping, when the parts are positioned, "extending. slightly above the neck of the head; and a wrapping placed over the upper end of the neck, the protruding portion of the leather, and the adjacent portion of the shaft.

11. In a golf club, the'combination of a metallic shaft; a socketed wooden head, into which the shaft is inserted; and a connector glued between the shaft and wall of the socket, said connector being of such nature as to accommodate itself to changes in size and form of the socket, due to atmospheric or other conditions, without breaking the glue connection between itself and the wall of the socket.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification.

the neck whereof is provided with a 

